Cushioning and centering device for railway car couplers



Nov. 14,, 1950 K. T. NYSTROM CUSHIONING AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS Filed Jan. 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l r NZ f m f M K. T. NYSTRQM Nov. 14, 1950 CUSHIONING AND CENTERI NG DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS Filed Jan. 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

K. T. NYSTROM Nov, 14, 1950 CUSHIONING AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 29, 1947 INVENTOR. rZT/V Nov. 14, 1950 K. T. NYSTROM 2,529,626

CUSHIONING AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS Filed Jan. 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 CUSHIONING AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS Karl T. Nystrom, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application January 29, 1947, Serial No. 725,129

8 Claims.

This invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to an improved means for supporting the outer end of a railway car coupler adjacent its head, which means permits the customary vertical, lateral and longitudinal movements of the coupler during service, and, when the coupler is uncoupled, resiliently supports the same and causes said coupler to assume a position adjacent the medial line of the car.

To provide such means for accomplishing said purpose is the principal object of the invention.

In devices of a like nature with which I am familiar, springs are used to resiliently support the coupler, and in several of such devices a distorting or tipping of the springs produces a restoring moment to return the coupler to its normal position. In other words, the springs do two things, namely, resiliently support the coupler, and return the same to normal position.

It is an object of this invention to provide separate means for performing each of these functions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cushioning and centering device for couplers wherein should the means provided for performing either function fail such failure would not affect the operation of the other function.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of the improved coupler cushioning and centering device.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 3A is a vertical section somewhat enlarged on line 3A-3A, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a section on, line 6-5 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is an end elevation of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a section on line 88 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is an enlarged vertical section through the carrier and cooperative member only of the modified form of the invention.

In the drawings, one form of the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, wherein the striking casting 2 is attached to the car and supported thereby by any convenient means usually attaching same to the draft sills 3 or framing of the car. The coupler, shown in dotted lines at I, rests upon the coupler carrier 8 and is retained in central position thereon by the lugs 9. Carrier 8 is provided with extensions H which extend between spaced apart walls [3 and 14 of the casting to restrict the movement of the carrier 8 longitudinally of the car, but which carrier has substantially free movement laterally and vertically of the car. Since the coupler shank moves longitudinally the upper surface of carrier 8 is provided with a pad [5 upon which is mounted a Wear plate IS, the plate It and pad l5 being secured to the carrier by means of the bolts H. The pad is made of a material which has considerable shock absorbing qualities and yieldability and, therefore, will dissipate a great many of the vertical loads imposed thereupon by the coupler due to service movements of the car, and provides the cushioning means of the coupler support.

Projecting downwardly from the under side of carrier 8 is a pair of spaced webs or tongues 18 and i9. Projecting downwardly from each extension II is a spaced knob or embossment 20, each of which projects Within an opening 2| of a rocker 22. Lower surface of rocker 22 hasa similar opening 23 into which extends the knob or embossment 24 of the cooperative member 25, which extends substantially from side to side of the striker between walls 13 and M and is held in stationary position therebetween by the spaced rivets 26.

The ends of member 25 are of enlarged blocklike form, as at 3|, each of which is in width substantially equal to the space between walls l3 and M. The lower outer corner of each wall l3 and I4 is provided with an inwardly extending integral boss-like portion 32 and 33, upon which block-like portions 3i rest. Each blocklike portion 3| is provided with a downwardly extending tongue 34 which registers with a cooperative groove 35 in the bosses 32 and 33, thus fur ther insuring against any lateral movement of member 25. Thus when coupler 1 moves laterally, carrier 8 moves laterally therewith, causing rockers 22 to rock. Member 25 also has a pair of spaced upwardly extending webs 2i and 28 in plane respectively with downwardly extending webs l8 and I9, and the meeting edges of webs 21 and I8 and 28 and I9 are formed with interlocking dovetailed tongue and groove joints, as shown clearly in Figure 2, so that while these members may not separate vertically they may slide longitudinally with respect to each other (transversely of the car).

An expansion coil spring 29 is provided between the webs 2ll8 and 28|9, it being pre-tensioned before being applied. To hold said spring in place there are provided a plurality of pins 3'035 arranged with their axes in a circle and spaced approximately sixty degrees apart. The

dovetailed tongue and groove joint of members 2'! and I8, and 28 and I9 is of such configuration that three of the pins occur in members 21 and 28 and three pins 30 in members [8 and Hi. The three pins in each part are spaced one hundred and twenty degrees apart and the inner diameter of the spring is tangent to the outer surface of the pins and thus the spring is guided thereby. Thus when the coupler moves laterally, webs l8 and 19 will move therewith, but webs 21 and 28 will remain stationary and, consequently, one web [8 or [9 will compress the spring against the opposite web 2'! or 28 during any lateral movement of the coupler, and the three pins 30 of web 18 or I9 and the three pins 30 of web 2'! or 28 remaining in contact with the end of the spring will hold said spring in proper position. Also the compression of said spring 29 provides a restoring moment to return the coupler carrier and coupler to normal position when it is free to do so.

The modification, Figures 5 to 9 inclusive, is substantially identical to that shown in the other views, the principal difference being in the substitution of a resilient means for the solid rocker 22, and a variation in the dovetailed interlocking of the webs associated with carrier 8, together with a slightly different shape of the cooperative member 25.

In this modification carrier 8 has a pair of spaced downwardly extending webs 48 and 4!, which are slotted 42, as shown more clearly in Figure 9. The lower portion of said slot is widened, as at 43. Cooperative member 44 is provided with a pair of spaced upwardly extending webs 45 and 46 in plane with webs 4G and 4i respectively. Each web 45 and 46 extends upwardly within its respective slot 42 to a point adjacent bottom of carrier 8, the space between being sufficient to allow carrier 8 to move vertically during all normal movements of the coupler without contacting the upper end of said web. Member 44 is thus, in side elevation, channelshaped (see showing in dotted lines, Figure 5) and the central part of the portion which extends between webs 45 and 46 is the full width of space between walls l3 and M, as at 4?, whereas the end portions thereof adjacent webs 45 and 46 are reduced in width, as at 48. (See Figures 6 and 9.)

The reduced end parts 48 project laterally within the widened part 43 of slot 42 so that the carrier 8 may reciprocate vertically within the limits of said widened part 43 of slot 42, and also move laterally in respect thereto. As in the formerly described modification, the spring 29 is pretensioned and installed between the interlocking webs 4i and 46, so that when the carrier is moved laterally with such a movement of the coupler, either of the depending Webs or 4| compresses the spring against the opposite upstanding web or 46, as the case may be, thereby providing a restoring moment in the spring to return the carrier and coupler supported thereby to normal coupling range when free to do so.

The expanding lugs 28 of the carrier (Figure 5) depend within correspondingly shaped sockets 50 in what will be termed the spring caps 5 I. The similar upstanding lugs 24 of cooperative member extend within sockets 52 of spring seats 53. Springs 54, or other resilient means, are interposed between spring caps 5i and spring seats 53 to thereby resiliently support the coupler carrier and yet permit lateral movement thereof. Thus the springs 54 resiliently support the carrier and coupler and the spring 29, of either modification, restores the coupler to normal coupling range. The upper surfaces of spring caps 5| and lower surfaces of spring seats 53 are arcuate so as to roll when the carrier is moved laterally and thus not appreciably distort said springs 54 during such lateral movement.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting and centering a laterally movable car coupler upon a member fixed to a car; said device comprising a carrier adapted to move laterally with a coupler, a rocker interposed between each end of the carrier and the adjacent end of said member to support said coupler, said carrier having spaced depending webs, each web having a vertical slot therein, said member having spaced upwardly projecting webs extending into said slots, respectively, a resilient element having each end thereof engageable with one of said depending webs and one of said upwardly projecting webs when the carrier is in centered position and associated therewith so that upon lateral movement of th carrier in either direction one of said depending webs compresses the resilient element against the opposite upwardly projecting web, which compression causes the carrier to return to centered position when free to do so.

2. A device for supporting and centering a laterally movable car coupler upon a member fixed to a car; said device comprising a carrier adapted to move laterally with a coupler, a rocker interposed between each end of the carrier and the adjacent end of said member to support said coupler, said carrier and said member each having spaced interlocking webs constructed and arranged so as to permit longitudinal movement of carrier with respect to said member and to restrict lateral movement of said carrier with respect to said member, and a resilient element havin the ends thereof engageable with said webs when the carrier is in centered position and associated so that upon longitudinal movement of the carrier one of said carrier webs compresses said resilient element against the opposite of said member webs thereby providing a restoring moment to urge said carrier to centered position when free to do so.

3. A device for supporting and centering a 1aterally movable car coupler upon a member fixed to a car; said device comprising a carrier adapted to move laterally with a coupler, and resilient means to cushion said carrier against downward pressure, said carrier and said member each having spaced interlocking webs, extending towards each other and constructed and arranged so as to permit longitudinal movement of said carrier web with respect to each member web and to restrict lateral movement of said carrier web with respect to said member web.

i. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said means are resilient to cushion the carrier against downward pressure.

5. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said rockers are resilient to cushion the carrier against downward pressure, each of said rockers comprising a spring cap having an arcuate surface engageable with said carrier, a spring seat having an arcuate surface engageable with said member, a spring interposed between said can and said seat, and means to retain said cap and said seat, respectively, in cooperative relationship with said carrier and member, respectively.

6. A resilient rocker comprising a spring cap having an arcuate outer surface and a flat inner surface, a spring seat having an arcuate outer surface and a fiat inner surface, and a spring interposed between said flat surfaces.

7. A device for supporting and centering a laterally movable car coupler upon a member fixed to a railway car; said device comprising a carrier adapted to move laterally with a coupler. means interposed between each end of said carrier and said member to support said carrier in spaced relation to said member, said carrier and said member having spaced interlocking webs extending toward each other, shaped and arranged so as to permit lateral movement by the coupler of the webs of the carrier in the webs of the member, and resilient means interposed between said interlocking webs, whereby upon lateral movement of a coupler supported by the carrier one of the webs at one end of the carrier compresses said resilient means against the web at the other end of said member toward which said coupler moves, thereby providing a restoring moment to return the carrier and coupler to centered position when free to do so.

8. A device for supporting and centering a laterally movable car coupler upon a member fixed to a railway car; said device comprising a carrier adapted to move laterally with a coupler, said carrier and said member having spaced pairs of interlocking webs extending toward each other, shaped and arranged so as to permit lateral movement by the coupler of the webs of the carrier in the webs of the member, and resilient means interposed between adjacent pairs of said interlocking webs, whereby upon lateral movement of a coupler supported by the carrier one of the webs at one end of the carrier compresses said resilient means against the web at the other end of said member toward which said coupler moves, thereby providing a restoring moment to return the carrier and coupler to centered position when free to do so.

KARL T. NYSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 768,854 Hinson Aug. 30, 1904 1,401,990 Larsson Jan. 3, 1922 1,926,112 Schlesinger sept. 12, 1933 2,037,092 Schlesinger Apr. 14, 1936 2,058,270 Strid Oct. 20, 1936 2,066,009 Laughlin Dec, 29, 1936 2,299,541 Harwick Oct. 20, 1942 2,409,093 Zeidler Oct. 8, 1946 

